Is Blogging Still Relevant in 2020?

Yes, blogging is still relevant in 2020.

The skepticism around this topic has risen from the change in the way people engage and interact with content, but this does not mean blogging is suddenly irrelevant.

Further statistics suggest online media consumption is going to rise to 495 minutes a day, per person, by 2021, demonstrating the demand for informative online content.

Whether you are blogging as an individual or a business, acting as the supplier of new and exciting content that provides an entertaining learning experience for others will always be valued.

So I mentioned blogging is being absorbed differently, but what do I mean by that?

Platforms such as Youtube have become increasingly popular for convenient learning in the form of vlogs (video blogging). Thousands of entrepreneurs and content creators of all ages take to the screen and portray their passion through video.

Why do people still read blogs?

Believe it or not, people enjoy reading and find interest in exploring someone else's opinion.

Company reputation has always been important to customers, but moving into 2020, transparency is key. Blog content is a great way to present your business values and morals to your audience, so you can start to build personal customer relationships.

It can also show strength and authority when you discuss industry-leading topics, providing detailed insights, knowledge, and suggestions.

How should you optimize your blog content in 2020?

One word, Google.

Google is the overarching character that analyses your blog content and decides if it likes it or not. If it does then your SEO performance will improve, you will receive more visitors to your website and have more chances of making sales.

However, if your content does not follow Google's guidelines, your business is not going to grow anytime soon.

Things to avoid:

• Don't fill your page with lists of keywords or your content will be regarded as spam.
• Write ALT text for images so Google can understand them.
• Don't use multiple URL's to link the same content.

For a comprehensive list of things to avoid, visit Google Help Center.

Things to do:

• Give visitors the content they are looking for - Providing high-quality content that is informative and educational will attract more visitors to your page and allow Google to recognize it as genuine.
• Organically include relevant keywords into your content - Overloading your content with keywords will only give you a bad reputation and Google will regard it as spam.
• Build your backlinks - Other destinations displaying your content and linking back to your site will show Google you can be trusted and that you are authentic.
• Update your content consistently - Regularly posting content will show Google you are relevant and trying to improve your reputation online.

Great, your blog content is optimized, but to see consistent results it must be measured.

Recommended: How to Spy and Gain Advantage through Competitor Backlinks

How should you measure your blog performance?

Google can also help here.

Linking your website to Google Analytics can show you detailed insights into your site and content performance.

Here are the top 5 metrics to measure the success of your blog content:

• Page visits - As you can probably expect, the more people who visit your page and read your content the better.
• Visit duration - Recording the time visitors spend reading your content will be a good indication of how engaging your content actually is.
• Backlinks - The more quality backlinks you build, the better. Having a collection of respected sites that link back to yours is going to increase your brand awareness and business reputation.
• Click-through rate (CTR) - Including an action button somewhere in your content linking to another page is a great way to measure engagement.
• Social media engagement - Promoting your blog content on social media and receiving more likes, comments, and followers will show how effective your efforts have been.

Recommended: 6 Marketing Data Tools that Go Beyond Google Analytics

What now?

Before jumping in and writing your content you need a solid digital marketing plan that ensures you produce a high-quality piece of work.

Analyzing your competition is a good way to find inspiration, but make sure your content is original.

Tom Welbourne

Tom Welbourne is the Director & Founder of The Good Marketer, a Digital Marketing Agency in London which works with Small Businesses to drive more traffic, generate conversions and increase sales.

thegoodmarketer.co.uk/